Sunrise calls early, an Alarm, golden, intense Tickling with its rays, sending an Undercurrent to venture outside and Renew spirits with beauty surrounding. Dive into nature’s inspiring offerings, Abandon heavy burdens in mind, Yesterday becomes today’s gift.
** An acrostic is a piece of writing in which a particular set of letters—typically the first letter of each line, word, or paragraph—spells out a word or phrase with special significance to the text. Acrostics are most commonly written as a form of poetry, but they can also be found in prose or used as word puzzles. While the most common type of acrostic is one formed by the initial letters of each line, there are many different types of acrostics with letters in different positions.
We’re heading for the trail this morning for a hike (my first since dealing with health changes in the last year). So, if you can, get outdoors to inhale the fragrance of nature and enjoy!
I’m thrilled to share that my poem “Burdens to Buoyancy” is published on Gobblers & Masticadores today! Thank you to Manuela Timofte for believing in my workand providing the opportunity to be a monthly contributor to her literary site. I am in the company of so many talented writers. Thanks again, Manuela!
Burdens to Buoyancy
Stones of burdens can seem like pebbles barely tripping us up in our routines, but sometimes, they’re boulder massive, sliding us deeply into our heads when the need to escape from our own selves becomes vital for our sanity.
We pause in our footsteps, holding our breath, fighting tears pushing as fiercely as a category five…
The rest of the poem can be read here, and as always, a BIG THANKS to all of you for your wonderful support!
Thank you for visiting, and I wish you a lovely day!❤️ Photo by Ir Solyanaya on Pexels.com
My latest collection of poetry, touching on nature, love, and the mysteries of life that would make a great for any holiday! Click on the image for your copy. Thank you! 💚
I am thrilled to share that Spillwords Press has published my story “Resilience is Her Saving Grace.” Thank you to Dagmara and her team for accepting my submission. It is a great honor to have my writing spotlighted again, and to be in the company of so many talented authors.This story is meaningful because it means I’ve stepped out of the poetry box to dabble in fiction. And while it is fiction, the topic is reality for so many people. It was my desire to end ‘her’ story with hope so that hope could take on a ripple effect for anyone experiencing a similar scenario. Thank you for reading…
Resilience is Her Saving Grace
The tempest held its vigil on the horizon but continued to fool her. Devotion in his eyes mesmerized her whole being, awakened every pulse in her body. Eyes that spoke the language of love where their future glowed like an apricot dawn. She bestowed her heart permission to be swept into his pools of blue…
And yet, every day she anticipates the sting from his hand – the palm or back, makes no difference. The sting smarts like hell, but her heart secures the brunt of the damage. The slaps begin early each morning if she doesn’t move fast enough to appease his caffeine demands. And it’s ironic that he chose ‘chalet’ for his cell alarm because the calming tone contrasts to his horrific demeanor. After he walks through the front door following a day’s work, if she so much as smiles unknowingly to his disliking, his hand finds her cheek, and she feels the strike of skin even before impact. 5 p.m. on the mantel clock makes her heart pound as though trying to make a getaway.
You can read the rest of my story here, and if you can give it a ❤️, I’d really appreciate your support! 🤗
You don’t need to log in to give it a lovely ❤️, but you do need to if you’d like to leave a comment. And I would love to read your thoughts, but either way, I would appreciate your time and support. Thank you so much! 🙏
Thank you again to Dagmara K. and her team! I am truly grateful! 🌷
Thank you for visiting, and I wish you a lovely day!❤️ Both photos are courtesy of Spillwords Press.
My latest collection of poetry, touching on nature, love, and the mysteries of life that would make a great for any holiday! Click on the image for your copy. Thank you! 💚
I’m sharing this story again that ties into my review of Dawn’s book from my prior post. I hope you enjoy again if you’ve already read it.And if you’re reading for the first time, I hope it brings a smile or makes you laugh. 😁
Dad saved my life when I was a little girl! He was my hero, and the unforgettable episode took place when my parents, sisters, and I were at our cabin for a weekend getaway in Big Bear, California. Sugar pines surrounded our little bungalow on the big corner lot in the mountains. We had just finished Mom’s delicious lasagna dinner, and everyone was relaxing in their own way for the rest of the evening. With crayons, I was bringing to life a picture in my coloring book, sitting on our coffee-colored sofa by our stone fireplace, and that’s when Dad noticed the spider on the cushion heading for me at lightning speed. He caught it just before it began the climb onto my leg. In those days, any spider who found itself inside our home didn’t live to see the sunrise the next morning. This moment was traumatic for me, so spiders have been the bane of my existence ever since. Even in my teen years, spiders seemed to follow my every move!
These wee beasts spent much of their time in my bathroom with the sky-blue walls and plush soft matching rugs. Never did they tour my parent’s bathroom. My mind drifts to the morning when I was about to take a shower, getting ready for another day of high school…as I turned the knob and looked up, I watched a spider ride the waves of the cascading waterfall down, down, down. I jerked my head back just in time, and I cringed thinking of that eight-legged creature tangled up in my long brown hair.
Mornings began to fuel anxiety as spider social calls manifested soon after the crack of dawn. The sun brightened the sky and another high school day was on the horizon. I grabbed a towel to dry off after showering when I felt something unnatural. Looking down, I watched in horror as a brown spider scuttled across my chest. I jumped, avoiding a nasty fall in the tub, and brushed the spider off not caring where it landed. I just wanted it off my skin!
I think these creepy-crawlies watched for me so they could plan their next prank. During another shower with my head full of shampoo suds, I spotted a black spider near my feet. The routine my feet performed was not one of a happy dance! With a swish here and there, my foot managed to nudge the scary intruder down the drain with ripples of water. I imagined it whirling into the dark depth of the water system. I quickly rinsed the suds out. Just as I felt calm run through my body, I looked down and noticed that spider climbing out of the drain! This could only happen to me!
I’m not afraid of fangs digging into me. Fear rears its ugly head when they appear out of the blue, startling me out of my wits! Any hope of building armor is hopeless. And they have too many legs; this, combined with their sudden movements of jumping or crawling at high-speed, send me into a tizzy, as my dad used to say. Also, spiders are not pretty. Not to me. The visual doesn’t compare to the beauty of a butterfly. In fact, their creepy appearance propels me into a panic as much as their sudden company!
Even after five decades, I haven’t been able to shake my skittish reactions. Even though I’m a giant compared to the spider, with any fear, the source becomes magnified. So, I’ve diagnosed myself with arachnophobia. And the tale continues…
One incident took place later in life. I’m now a wife and mom with two young children. On an evening like any other while my family was getting ready for bed, I walked through the house locking up. I turned the lights out in the living room, but noticed a dark spot the size of my palm on the carpet. I almost – almost – reached down to touch it, but a bell went off in my subconscious warning me not to. I turned on the light and staring back at me was a black hairy tarantula!
“Oh, Shit!” I screamed, backing up slowly.
“Uh, oh! A spider found mom!” My husband, Matt, said to our daughter and son, who thankfully, didn’t share my fear. But he silently questioned the kind of spider that would cause me to shriek. This scenario sounded different.
After I managed to widen the space between the tarantula and me, my feet felt like cement blocks. Fear crept into my veins like a drug. I had never seen a tarantula up close, although I was thankful it stayed put. It didn’t budge. It was not afraid of me. What a fiasco if the tarantula had run! If it had, I would’ve run too! Heebie-jeebies creep up my arms imagining the leggy intruder finding comfort beneath the sofas (that I would never sit on again!).
Matt was taken back when he joined me in the living room and was surprised that I hadn’t passed out! My daughter had instituted the trend of saving spiders with a glass and a paper plate. So, by grabbing those two items, Matt scooped up the uninvited guest while I held the door. Per my request, he walked far enough away from the house before setting the big guy free in the yard. No tarantula was killed in the telling of this event. Our front door had been open earlier in the evening with the screen door closed. Spiders can maneuver through any cracks, but how that tarantula the size of my palm squeezed through baffles me to this day!
A few weeks after Matt had introduced “Harry” to his outdoor residence, my phobia eventually quieted down. Until recently when I sat at the kitchen table typing on my laptop. I noticed a spider crawling over the top of the screen. You have got to be kidding me! It was the color of vanilla and appeared like out of a horror flick, magnified by the white backdrop, growing to an enormous size – my skewed perception! Each leg made its way over the top! Since Matt was home, I yelled for his help. He grabbed the spider-saving tools but was too slow for the speedy spider who was off to the races! So, Matt lobbed the glass to me like we had teamed up for an egg toss! “Oh no, I missed him, too!”
“Hon, it’s just a spider,”Matt said with a smile and a pinch of courage. He knew Harry’s ugly image had been engrained in my mind, and no matter how much effort I exerted, it was stuck there forever. So, I couldn’t believe my ears, just a spider, but I knew he was teasing.
As it happened, this spider was faster than lightning!
“He’s on the floor…hand me the glass!”Matt tried again. “Ahh, now I can’t see him; he blends into the tile.”
“It’s time for the vacuum then; I’m so sorry,” I said out loud. When I finished pushing the vacuum back and forth, relief washed over me because I assumed the spider had been swallowed into oblivion. Then guilt followed because we tried to save the creepy creatures. My emotions were mixed! I sat down at the table again, but not before examining my laptop with eagle eyes to ensure no more spiders needed screen time!
Five minutes later, I saw the spider again!
“Oh my gosh, Honey, he’s following me!”
“Who’s following you?”
“Who do you think is following me?!”
I ignored Matt’s razzing, but a chuckle managed to escape anyway. I grabbed the glass but missed the spider again. Good thing we weren’t on a baseball team! The spider certainly had an agenda – still racing to an unknown destination and much faster than us. My eyes stayed focused on the little fellow as it headed for the living room. He must be having the time of his life – the furniture would be a stellar playground!
“Just watch, I’ll find him on my chair in the morning,” I said.
“Could be. Should I make a bigger pot of coffee?” Matt replied, as he hid behind a grin.
After all the commotion, I had survived because we didn’t see the eight-legged visitor again, and extra coffee wasn’t needed in the morning.
However, I admit and without apology that I don’t step into the shower before peeking behind the curtain first. Overcoming this fear most likely won’t happen. But if I can save a spider, and manage to hang onto the glass while it skitters around, then make my way to the door to give it freedom, that’s progress. Amazing progress! Once outside, I gently lay the glass down and with leg synchronicity, the spider crawls out heading to the roses and lantana, making us both sigh with relief.
Neither of my thumbs have ever been green for the garden, and the last thing I wanted to do was deliberately put my hands in a spider’s haven. Nowadays though, I’m in tune with the blooms, so I don’t worry about the creepy-crawlies when I’m offering the blooms a drink. Fear doesn’t have the firm grip that it had in years past.
But have I conquered arachnophobia one hundred percent? No, but I realize this phobia doesn’t prey only on me. Knowing I’m not alone while learning to exist with arachnids, that some are good for gardens, and acknowledging that they’re not out to get me is a work-in-progress. I’ve come a long way since that evening at the cabin when Dad saved my life. Maybe his reaction incited fear. Yet, if the spider had begun its ascent onto my leg, fear would’ve hurled into full force anyway!
And so I wonder, had the spiders been laughing at me when their presence whirled me into a frenzy? My intentions were always good. I simply didn’t want to be roommates. Laughing with me would’ve been perfectly welcomed.
Thank you for stopping by, and for taking the time to read this lengthy story. Enjoy your weekend! ❤️
My latest collection of poetry, touching on nature, love, and the mysteries of life that would make a great for any holiday! Click on the image for your copy. Thank you! 💚
How did naiveté slide into her veins? Why were those vessels so accommodating? She had listened intently to his persuasive syllables as they rolled like a lover’s ballad carried on summer’s breeze. They purported to express his love and devotion to her. Hence, the cadence of her heartbeat simulated gentle ocean waves ebbing and flowing beneath a robin egg blue sky. Her mind fuzzy like a delicious wine buzz because that’s what the power of love is capable of, mesmerizing her before his promises landed hard in the branches of the trees, stabbed in retaliation.
How did naiveté leech into her blood transforming its crimson red to a faded replica of weakness? The mirror hanging on the back of her door exposes a reflection of despair, unrecognizable. Yet, she understands the breadth of her situation, but when will the difference between humanity and an arresting performance reveal itself? When will the language flow like a lover’s ballad on summer’s breeze embracing her with warmth and security of compassion and honesty? Or is this simply a dream so far-removed from her reach?
Time mystifies, but with its magical means, her mind has awakened to reality. She releases a sigh of relief, realizing her heart is devoid of fissures. Never again will she place her golden treasure in danger of breaking. She has rid his presence from her precious sunrises. The panacea was inside her all along – a shifting from low self-esteem to self-assurance, an enlightening altering of what she desires for her tomorrows.
The longing in her soul pulses to witness butterflies flutter by again, and deer casually stroll down her street. To witness hummingbirds seeking out soft petals, evoking memories of her beloved mother. It’s not as though butterflies never visited her garden, or deer never strolled by her home, and it’s not like hummingbirds avoided visiting for a sip from her pink geraniums. She just never permitted herself to observe the beauty because her heart became preoccupied, and he was undeserving of its loyalty, frequently opining his needs and unconcerned with hers.
But now she shows great sagacity in making changes after declaring to her reflection in the mirror of what life offers. All she needs to do is invite life in. So, let the chirp of birds echo – delightful sounds of joy outside her window – and let deer stroll in their graceful manners. Let the wind blow, the mountains call, and the waterfalls fall, because blood in her veins now flows rich crimson red!
I’m thrilled to share that my poem “As This Moment Journeys Into the Next” is live on Gobblers and Chewers! Thanks so much to Manuela Timofte and her staff for this opportunity. I am very grateful!
As This Moment Journeys Into the Next
I realized this moment would come I knew the time would arrive, those hands on the clock they’re always on the move – when I had dreamed of so much more for this special minute, I have no poem…
To read the rest of the poem, click here, and thank you for your support! Also, please consider subscribing to Gobblers to enjoy poetry from a whole host of talented writers!
Hubby and I tried out a new coffee place Saturday morning and it was very cool (and delicious)!
I splurged on a blackberry peach scuffin and chai latte, and hubby had good ‘ol coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Yum!
After we finished eating, we enjoyed our drinks while walking around the charming old downtown. We both bought a new book to add to our towering TBRs (how could we pass up the bookstore?), and when I saw this mural, I thought of my dear friend, Resa, who goes on adventures, seeking amazing and emotive murals. This one isn’t huge, but the colors, joy, and positivity caught my eye:
I couldn’t see the name of the artist…Too bad the shadow overshadowed this one! Not the best photo, but a new bloom on our patio.
I’m ending this beginning-of-the-week post with a poem that was inspired by all the rain we were getting. The sun will be in the spotlight this week though…
Your Best Interest
Steel gray clouds battle it out with the golden orb, moving slowly to the naked eye, desiring to cleanse – Mother Earth is on their side.
But the golden orb wishes to slide into place to shine for spirits to rise.
Tragedy and bloodshed fill screens causing our souls to weep again.
Which one will prevail? Which will you applaud for? Cleansing or joy? Isn’t it a toss-up?
And yet, emotions lie in our hearts. We choose to let joy flow, instead of falling to our knees, because if there is a way to help, we will lend a hand, we will lend our hearts.
So, make the choice that befits your best interest. Then you will see…
Thank you for visiting today, and I wish you a good week! ❤️
Can you believe that I’ve never written a limerick? Well, I felt inspired and had fun with these attempts. Some are witty, but a few are more serious. So, I hope you enjoy, and if I made you laugh or others resonated, let me know in the comments below. And remember, these are attempts, so go easy on me! 😃❤️
A teen Copper. He’s now a senior.
Copper
There once was a dog named Copper Who sported a nice set of choppers. He’d wiggle for treats. His favorite were meats. He’d be the best eager shopper!
Clouds
The clouds hang gloomy and gray Not making for a very fine day. But joy lives in hearts. Takes one thought to start invoking a warm, glowing ray!
Doe
There once was a beautiful doe. She didn’t know which way to go. Her hills were so dry, She wanted to cry, Still, some say change isn’t so!
Mallards
Mallards relax on the water Unaware of the human spotter. They find their mate, A temporary date, Then succumb to the steadfast stalker!
African Gray
The African Gray talks up a storm. His conversing is part of his norm. He’ll say “Good morning!” Flap his wings for soaring. He mimics and loves to perform!
Sam and Pam
She lives in a web and her name is Sam. She loves her twin sister whose name is Pam. Their conduct is friendly. They spin their silk gently. But they keep to their own, so scram!
She’s Smart
She’s smart but lacks self-confidence. She builds many walls and a fence. Prefers to stay home, Would rather not roam, Her way of thinking doesn’t make sense.
Women
Women’s bodies are a topic. Some thoughts are myopic. It is their choice. They have a voice. Their value is not microscopic!
Diagnosis
The diagnosis came September. Sad news I will remember. I had to adjust. Accepting, a must, Though pain like a burning ember!
Young Lab
There once was a friendly, young lab With energy delightfully fab. He loved belly rubs. Hated baths in the tub. He gave big, toothy smiles, never sad!
Bloom
Flowers delight in vivid bloom To adore through the month of June. Their colors so brilliant, Grown with resilience, Brings sneezes and a feeling of doom!
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author 